Current as of 3 June 2004
MPEG2 Videoconferencing Over Internet2

The Video Wall at the University of Washington


Experiments with the University of Washington

In March 2001 we began experiments by videoconferencing over I2, which is now part of the Global Terabit Research Network that includes GÉANT in Europe (Western Europe and a number of Accession States), with the Daniel Evans School of Public Affairs using MPEG-2 technology. The experiments made use of Litton Camvision-2 low-latency high-fidelity MPEG-2 codecs, which are Windows-NT boxes that will do two-way MPEG-2 IP conferencing at a high bitrate (up to 15.4 Mbps, although we run them at a lower bitrate). The experiments concluded with a videoconference on 17 April 2001 with a videoconference between Evans School students in Andy Gordon's course, Information Policy and Public Policy, and the students in Matt Bonham's workshop, Video Conferencing for Global Governance.

The videoconference on 17 April 2001 was a complete success: The University of Washington received excellent audio and video from Maxwell School, and the feed from UW to us was almost perfect for the one hour conference. There was one instance of a six-second freeze frame and a couple of other one-second freeze frames. From time to time there was minor minor pixelization, but these flaws were not noticable to the participants. Throughout the conference we ran the Litton boxes at a 3.0 Mbps frame rate. Here are some MPEG-1 video excerpts of this conference:

"Why don't we start off at the Evans School" MPEG (19.839MB) | REAL (3.732MB)

"The ideology of modernity" MPEG (11.435MB)

"The concept of innocence in a culture" MPEG (10.486MB)

"I've done some research on India" MPEG (21.616MB)

"Going back to your point on innocence" MPEG (8.330MB)

"International NGOs and the Internet" MPEG (13.000MB)

"I think that we should be scared" MPEG (8.685MB)

Experiments with Columbia/SIPA over NYSERNet

"Working together apart" (Stuart Thorson) MPEG (10.277MB)

"We are starting with pencils" (Lisa Anderson) MPEG (13.037MB)

Experiments using the Litton Camvision2 codec with Alan Crosswell (alan@columbia.edu) at Columbia University have been highly successful. We have run the Litton codec at 15.4 Mbps, and we have achieved excellent results.

"Looks good. 15.4!" MPEG (8.313MB)

"He's got this thing--you see he rolls this around" MPEG (9.740MB)


Maxwell School

Contact Information

The International Relations Program
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244-1090, USA
Phone: 315-443-2306 , Fax: 315-443-9204
E-Mail: gmbonham@maxwell.syr.edu


Copyright (C) 2004, G. Matthew Bonham
Global Affairs
Institute